1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a braking device for a winch installed in a crane or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
It is standard practice in the related art to use a dynamic hydraulic braking device such as that disclosed in Japanese laid open patent publication No. 2003-48689 as a braking device for a winch installed in a crane or the like, which is required to exert a significant braking force without requiring a great operating force.
The publication cited above discloses a winch braking device that includes a reaction force-imparting element providing a damping effect, which may be constituted of a viscoelastic material, disposed at a brake pedal. The winch braking device disclosed in the publication is capable of generating a stable braking force by efficiently absorbing machine vibration or shaking of the operator's hands and legs, which may occur during braking. Such a capability for stable brake force generation, in turn, makes it possible to modulate braking during half-way depressing of a brake pedal and also improve the positioning accuracy with which the vehicle comes to a stop through an inching (fine) operation.